The Epworth Centre for Innovation in Mental Health (ECIMH) develops
innovative and effective mental health treatments, harnessing neuroscience
technology to make a new era of treatment options available.

An important part of Epworth Clinic’s mental health service offering in
Camberwell, the ECIMH is conducting research to better understand the disorders
that disrupt mental health and to develop new treatments and improve existing
treatments with the aim to provide ready access to innovative treatment technologies
for people experiencing mental health concerns.

Clinical research undertaken by the ECIMH focuses on:

improving transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment for depression to make it more personalised, effective and efficient

investigating TMS as a new treatment for a variety of other disorders including OCD, PTSD, chronic pain, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and addiction

developing and evaluating other innovative treatments, such as transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) for OCD and depression in young people​

ECIMH is led by Professor Paul Fitzgerald, a consultant psychiatrist and
Professor of Psychiatry at Epworth and Monash University.

He is supported by an expert, multidisciplinary and passionate team of
psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses, researchers and engineers
dedicated to enhancing mental health outcomes.

ECIMH is affiliated with the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre
(MAPrc), and conducts collaborative research with Monash University, the Alfred
and Royal Melbourne Hospitals.

Clinical trials currently underway

TMS treatment for Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder (OCD): Research trial

A clinical trial investigating a type of Transcranial Magnetic
Stimulation (TMS), Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS), as a new treatment for
obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The trial is comparing TBS treatment to
two different brain areas to determine which is the most effective.

A clinical trial comparing two types of Transcranial Magnetic
Stimulation (TMS) for the treatment of major depression - standard TMS and TBS.
Participants are randomly allocated to either standard TMS, standard intensity
TBS or high intensity TBS.

TMS treatment and Heart Rate in Depression,
OCD and PTSD: Research study

Monitoring heart rate patterns before, during and after Transcranial
Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment to better understand the effects of
treatment, and who it might benefit most.

Deep Brain Stimulation in Depression

This is a clinical trial investigating the use of deep brain stimulation
in the treatment of patients with the most difficult to treat depressive
conditions.

More information

If you are interested in participating in our clinical trials or would
like more information about our research, please contact us at: